In a world where one of the only consistencies is that there’ll be more bad news, Ash Keating has created a meditative space for viewers to find a brief respite.
This large-scale installation is a place where sunset and sunrise appear to combine. Whether an alternate reality or just a dream, there is a sense of being present when immersed in his new work at the Meat Market.
Installed away from the wall and under dramatic spotlights amid the cavernous rooms, this new series of 20 canvases expands his practice from painting into painting as installation. The effect is of heightened sensation, not unlike that of stained glass cathedral windows, explains Blackartprojects co-director, David Hagger, who facilitated the project.
While his work does not relate to Christian narratives, there are parallels to be found where Keating’s work dwarfs his audience in scale and impression. Just as stained glass imagery functioned to position humanity among larger powers, Keating’s work completely immerses the viewer in this large space of contemplation, enveloping them in the installation. Keating maintains that he “is not seeking awe” in relation to spirituality, but “offering a space in which the viewer is distanced from the everyday hubbub” where they “feel comfortable, for a fleeting moment or an hour or two of contemplation.”
Although his work is abstract – removing it from reality by definition, this function enables the audience to find a way into the work, placing the ‘human’ back into the experience. Exact interpretations may differ, but the message is ultimately the same – humanity is part of something bigger.
Gravity System Response
Ash Keating
The Meat Market
6 April – 12 April
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